TED Talk with Laura Carstensen shows older adults have an edge on happiness

Things are looking up for those of us who are growing older (that’s everyone, by the way). In a TED Talk posted today, Stanford’s Laura Carstensen, PhD, speaks about the benefits of aging. She cites evidence from numerous studies showing that people who are past middle age experience less stress and enjoy life more.

“That’s right–older people are happy,” Carstensen says. “When we recognize we don’t have all the time in the world we see our priorities most clearly. We take less notice of trivial matters. We savor life.”

Carstensen has found that older people are also more comfortable experiencing sadness and mixed emotions. During her talk, she encourages people of all ages to appreciate and make use of the talents of the growing segment of the population over age 60.